Kate Bishop enjoys a relaxed and well deserved Christmas with the Barton family and stays with them into the new year. But once she returns home to New York, she finds that someone had been waiting for her to get back from her holiday vacation.
A ce...
Kate is the first one awake for once, and the stillness of her apartment is welcome. Her eyes crack open to cold sunlight coming from under her curtains, making the room glow a soft gray. Lucky is tucked under her arm. There is no sizzling of a frying pan, no clicking of nails from Fanny, no blood on Yelena to worry about.
She lets out a content sigh and melts back into her bed, snuggling closer to Lucky, scratching his head eepily. They stay there for another hour or so, drifting in and out of sleep until Lucky decides he's ready for breakfast and Kate's bladder refuses to be ignored any longer.
She rolls out from under her covers with a groan and makes her way downstairs, humming at the snow falling in thick flakes outside the windows. There's a blonde lump on the couch, limbs sprawled out and soft snores floating from her mouth. She must be beyond exhausted.
Kate walks to Yelena in a sleepy haze and tucks a few strands of messy gold hair out of her face as she admires the brush of thick eyelashes over soft cheeks and pink lips parting slightly, the slope and rounded tip of her nose, the strong arch of dark eyebrows and smudged eye makeup.
Dear god. Yelena Belova was pretty.
Kate rubs her eyes with the palm of her hand and trudges to the bathroom to shower and get ready for the day, even though she has absolutely no idea what she's going to do with herself. That's her main problem now, she supposes. Prior to the insane holidays that she had, heading back to school after winter break would've been the next step, but that was no longer an option, and her mother was in jail. A literal criminal. Not only that, but the other people she may consider family were either living in a different state or completely off her radar. (Where the hell is Jack?)
Normally, this would send her spiraling. No support system? No therapy appointments? Meds running low? No busy work? No learning? No people?
Bad news.
But now, with Yelena here... How long did she plan on staying?
"Forever?" Kate whispers to herself, hot water dripping from her lips as the showerhead pummels her with a boiling stream. The scalding liquid blocks everything out and loosens up the tight muscles in her shoulders and neck, pooling in the dips of her collarbones and waist before hitting the floor. Maybe. Maybe forever.
That would be okay.
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The first thing Kate sees when she gets out of the bathroom is Yelena hanging from the lip of the floor of her loft bedroom, and she lets out a startled shout before realizing that her friend is in the middle of a workout routine.
"Good morning- Kate Bishop!" Yelena huffs out, smiling at her in between her pull ups. She's in form fitting blood red leggings and a black sports bra, her arms and abdomen on full display. The cut on her neck already looks significantly better. Sweat is shining on her skin, but Yelena just keeps at it, muscles working hard.
Kate tears her wide eyes away and can feel her stomach burning as hot as her face, but she goes back into the bathroom with the excuse of brushing her teeth.
Yelena watches her go quizzically, having still not received a response, but says nothing and continues with her exercise. She could have stopped a minute or so ago, having reached her usual amount of reps and sets, but the familiar burn in her body was a welcome distraction from the sight of Kate Bishop with wet hair hanging loose over her shoulders.
Kate doesn't come back out of the bathroom until she's sure that Yelena isn't suspended in the air in the middle of her apartment anymore, but she hasn't changed because she still needs to shower. And Kate is in the way.
"Good morning," Kate squeaks out, trying and failing miserably to keep her eyes from glancing at Yelena's abs. Jesus Fucking Christ. Did they sculpt her out of fucking marble in the Red Room?
Yelena smirks at her and drags the length of her forearm over her forehead, sweaty strands of blonde hair sticking to her skin. "Hello, Kate Bishop. Is it alright if I use the shower?"
"Oh- yeah! Yeah, of course. Always. You don't need to ask."
The blonde shrugs. "I just wanted to be sure. Sleeping on your couch is one thing; using your shower is another."
"Oh. Well. I mean... I don't care. Or- I don't mind, I mean. Yeah, you're, um... you're totally welcome to anything in my apartment at any time, really," Kate garbles out, mentally slapping herself in the face.
Yelena tilts her head. "Thank you, Kate Bishop. You don't need to do that."
"I know," she replies weakly. But I want to.
"I've been meaning to ask you, I suppose."
"Yeah? What?"
Yelena opens her mouth and then closes it after a moment, struggling to find the right words. How does she say this? "Could I- would it be alright...?" Shit. What is she doing? "I still have business here in New York. I don't know for how long, yet," she says, pulling words out of her ass and lying straight through her teeth. (If avoiding Valentina could be counted as business.) "Would it be too much trouble for you if I stuck around a little longer?"
Kate's face brightens up immediately, and she's already nodding eagerly before Yelena is even done speaking. "Yes, of course! Please, stay! That's- that's totally fine with me, it wouldn't be a problem at all!"
(These fucking dumbasses.)
Yelena grins shyly and shrugs. "Thank you, Kate Bishop. I am sorry that I did not ask sooner. I apologize for staying around as much as I have been."
"Oh no no no, I don't mind at all, I promise," Kate hurries. "You'll be doing me a favor, honestly. I could, um. I really could use the company. And so could Lucky, I think."
They all could.
"I'll make it worth your while, Kate Bishop," Yelena promises, putting a warm hand on Kate's shoulder and squeezing gently before making her way into the bathroom and shutting the door behind her.
How is Kate supposed to tell her that she already has?
They're so cute and so gay???? I can't???????
Translations: none
Kate Bishop counter: 6
QOTD: Do you like to work out?
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